Crazy In July
by Jinxit13
Summary: WRITTEN BY REQUEST: Everyone knows there's a degree of difficulty in dealing with Ms July, so when Rachel dares to challenge Cassandra's authority in the classroom, things quickly escalate out of control. BERRY-JULY GOODNESS. Rating may change to M in later chapters and will also include Klaine, Dantana and Quinn Fabray.


**Right, third time lucky perhaps! **

**The first chapter is a build-up. I already have the second one written and might post it soon. **

**Reviews are always wonderful to get. Let me know if you think I should continue!**

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Homeless men deprived of all decent humanity squatted inches away from the rain with nothing but torn parkers to keep them warm. They peered, rather hopelessly, from the dark crevices of their secluded bridge to enjoy the only pleasure they were certain of in life. Radiant beams of sun injected fumes of pink and orange into the city's dome of existence, bringing a smile to every New Yorker's lips. Every now and again, a fragile man with greying hair and a suspicious limp who never missed the blessed event would awaken from his restless slumber and set fire to yesterday's newspaper until all the trees in Central Park were smouldering with red, orange and yellow. The fragrant breath of pine and fir and cedar and poplar trees intensified with the November rainfall, yet the robins still thrilled with their morning song high in the treetops.

Cassie strolled across the opulent ballet studio for the first time in two weeks, hoisting herself up onto the window ledge that overlooked the park below. The large, empty classroom was filled with the constant whine of white noise as relentless rain slashed against the window, clouding the glass. The dim orange glow outside created a beautifully romantic ambiance that seeped into the studio and held her tightly within its grasp. Cassandra let out a deep, shaky breath that she didn't even realise she was holding and titled her head backwards, her eyelids fluttering open and then closed against the dim light of dawn. Her breathing was deep and relaxed, all the muscles in her face and body were totally at peace, like a baby in its' first throes of slumber before REM kicked in, but she couldn't quite squash the excited, almost pathetic anxiety that threatened to overwhelm her. She cradled a freshly squeezed Apple and Strawberry smoothie in one hand, flexing her finger's one-by-one to release the last of her tension. The other clutched at a book she had been tirelessly trying to finish over the course of Thanks Giving to no avail. Her gorgeous nephew - Noah - and the family dog who was named Marley were both under the age of four and therefore neither of them had a rational bone in their body. Their cute demand of her attention meant that Noah had insisted upon teaching Cassie the ins and outs of their neighbourhood during a game of hide and seek before effortlessly roping her into a live, living room performance of That's What Makes You Beautiful complete with cheesy choreography. Video footage was easily accessible should Cassie one day require proof that she wasn't a cold-hearted, bitter, never-has-been bitch from New York.

Despite this, her prolonged absence from NYADA had sparked an unhealthy supply of potentially career-damaging and fallacious rumours which wormed their way through the school's manic chain of gossip at a frantic pace. Cassie was well aware of the fact that she was now the new hot topic of the week thanks to a heads up from Carmen. A small selection of student's, namely Muffin Top, had sent a faux array of rumours flying, suggesting that something was going on between herself and Rachel, which although Cassie had thankfully been quick to deny since Swchimmer couldn't do it herself, she wasn't whole-heartedly satisfied that the rumour-mill had been successfully halted. With all those absurd rumours circulating around NYADA's campus, Cassie's mind was spinning rapidly out of control. The rumours could be addressed quickly and somewhat painlessly, but the Winter Showcase was another issue altogether.

All NYADA students were required to stick to their timetables during the tension-riddled weeks leading up to the Annual Winter showcase, unless of course they were considered talented enough in their chosen major to contribute in some way. In that case, they would be taken off timetable to be involved in production. Many were required to volunteer or be involved in the pre-show preparation, but freshman were strictly prohibited - except Rachel. Somehow and through no fault of her own, Cassandra July had been forced to fill a gap within the show's production and after many highly-strung fits of denial, she was coerced by Carmen into bitterly accepting that Rachel was probably her best chance of winning. Although no showcase was designed to promote the teacher's talent, every dance instructor at NYADA took it personally and they all competed amongst themselves to make sure that one of their own students won. Cassandra was screwed the moment her strongest senior broke his ankle and Carmen demanded that she provide a new talent within a week. Somehow, that responsibility had spontaneously and rather unfathomably landed on Rachel Berry. Neither of them were particularly happy about it. Rachel was finding it difficult to fall asleep with such confused and conflicted emotions weighing heavily on her conscious, but it was what it was, and Cassandra was wrestling with keeping her feelings mutual, but they were what they were.

Cassie sighed heavily, watching the garbage trucks prowl the streets below, beeping loudly, as the rain continued to paint New York City in dull tones of grey. She reminded herself that while there were a few students who were much more graceful than Rachel and there were many more who she considered to be more aesthetically pleasing than Little-Miss-Encyclopaedia, there were even a few student's who were both, none of them managed to cause a lump to form in her throat like Rachel did. It really was catch twenty-one. If she managed to contradict all those rumours by plastering Rachel the colour red with a few carefully thought-out insults, slamming her every move and doubting the reason for her very existence, then all the speculative untruths would cease and no one would be any the wiser. No one would have to know how she felt about the pint-sized diva with surprisingly long, toned legs and surprisingly kissable lips. On the other hand, upping the ante with her onslaught of insults would have a negative effect on their one-to-one sessions which were due to start some time that week.

She wrestled with her conscious as time rolled on, sipping the sweet Apple and Strawberry smoothie in-between turbulent musings. The aftertaste of rum did little to silent her anxiety. Nerves failed to cease despite the calming effect of rain slashing down outside the window and Rachel's lack of existence in her classroom only made the tension worse. After a long stretch of uninterrupted silence, the gentle hum of student's exuberant chatter echoed through the long, expansive corridors, slowly filling the classroom with signs of life.

Cassandra jumped down from the window ledge, taking up her usual position behind the desk as one member of the class after another filed into the room. Her thwarted attempts not to look every time a new face appeared resulted in her stealing regular sideward glances. By the time Lydia appeared, she was already under a disproportionate amount of scrutiny. A small buzz of discreet chatter echoed in her ears, causing a smirk to replace her usually impassive expression. Piecing together the small snippets of information she overheard, combined with what Carmen had already told her, she learnt that the student's apparently suspected that she'd been fired for her lack of sobriety, eliciting wrongful affairs with members of the staff, or maybe even the unrelenting bullying of a student. There were far more ridiculous suggestions too; like being cast to play Cruella Deville, or allegedly being caught in various 'positions' with another member of the facility. She scoffed at the likelihood of that happening - she was going through a very unfortunate dry spell in regards to her 'activities' outside the classroom and stealing a glimpse of Rachel Berry now and again was all she had. Still, if it was the only thing she was going to get, she'd take it.

She demanded all student's attention with a smack of her cane, sending them scattering into the middle of the room so that she could line them up with military like precision. Lydia combined standing to attention with sending Ms July nauseatingly pathetic glances, as if she really thought Cassandra would be offended, and Brody pretended not to notice the unsettling tension in the room. Cassie swung her cane behind her shoulder's and sauntered along the line of nervous student's - minus one petite diva - like a general inspecting her troops. Maybe there was a fall-back career in the military for her after all.

"Sorry to disappoint you Julian, but I have not been drafted in to play Cruella Deville in a new Broadway adaption, although I would suggest you give it a try if the opportunity comes your way." Julian's eye's immediately widened. His humiliation was easy to read. She smirked, continuing to walk the line with deliberate slowness. "Nor Lydia, did I have an affair with a student." she turned to face the blushing girl who transformed the colour of a ripe beetroot. At least she had the sense not to argue back. "Not only are you all far to inexperienced to handle me, but it would also be illegal."

Cassie continued to walk the line, pausing as if to speak and then continuing, keeping them all painfully on the edge. A worrying cocked eyebrow in Beefcake's direction reminded them that no-one was safe. "Not that it's really any of your business Beefcake, but I was also never caught with my legs behind my ears in the janitor's closet." she drawled, refusing the urge to poke him in the chest with the end of her cane. "I also never invested in plastic surgery, contracted yellow fever or adopted a African American child." She allowed a heavily, suffocating silence to stifle the ashamed student's before retiring to the front of the class. She broke the silence with a thump of her cane. "Pair up." she instructed, keeping her eye on the door. "Let's see how much time you've devoted to your dancing in my absence."

Rachel clumsily removed her worn-out trench coat as she hurried down the corridor and raced towards Ms July's classroom, cursing Kurt for spring cleaning and deliberately hiding her alarm clock so that he could have a lie. She hated being late. She'd had this morning precisely planned for the past two weeks, even going so far as to have Kurt give her a much-needed makeover to enhance her natural sex appeal - if there was any. They'd discovered, after many diva-like tantrums from both Kurt and Rachel alike that she really did have the longest legs of any known human. They went on for miles, and even though she'd been covered up all winter, they'd still retained some of their natural glow. Kurt used that as a starting point, and then enhanced her breasts which were decidedly more than just pancakes while drawing attention to her subtly defined abs. The overall look resulted in demure elegance that was ultimately classy, yet unstated and sexy at the same time.

Rachel approached the classroom with considerable trepidation, adjusting her barely-there shorts and fitted-leotard carefully before finally stepping into the dimly-lit room. She instantly caught the blonde's concentrated gaze from across the room. Cassie looked as though she had momentarily forgotten how to breathe. Rachel's tousled hair framed a hesitant but smiling face, tentative and shy as her liquid brown eyes shone almost auburn gold in the light. The tasteful yet revealing choice in leotards was not lost on Cassandra as Rachel took a step forward and made an heroic attempt to calm the thundering of her heart. Oxygen was suddenly so scarce; quick, shallow breaths were required even as her eyes drunk in the perfection at the other end of the studio, nervously awaiting her acknowledgment.

Rachel nervously shifted her weight from one foot to the other, still clutching onto the door. Ms July was leaning back against the rain-splattered window behind her desk, her legs crossed at the ankles, while scanning the playlist on her phone. She was wearing a sexy blazer and tailored leotard combination teamed with a sheer black skirt which was slashed up to the thigh. The sculpted blazer revealed an ample chest heaving in the orange beams of light that penetrated the studio's walls. It was tailored precisely to fit her tiny figure, and Rachel soon became aware of the delicate bracelet adorning her slender wrist. Beautiful blonde tresses of hair fell loosely around her shoulders, eliminating Santana's theory that without a pony tail firmly in place, Ms July's entire being would sag like a balloon. The shafts of orange light caused Cassandra's molten green eyes to shimmer with unwarranted intensity. Her expression was schooled to impassive, but the vessels in her heart tightened frantically as Rachel took another step forward, clearing her throat.

Before Rachel could apologise for her poor time-keeping, Ms July was walking towards her, injecting a hint of irritation into her voice. It was performance time. If there had ever been an ambiguity between them, there certainly wouldn't be after today's lesson. "Swchimmer, I wish I could say it's a pleasure to you, but it isn't." She scolded, trying to sound more annoyed than she really was. A pang of guilt wrestled with her heart as the seemingly bewildered diva - who looked so god-damned beautiful with her mused hair and flustered cheeks - stared at her with her jaw unhinged. Cassie couldn't afford to be nice while being so intensely scrutinised by the wet fish that was otherwise known as Lydia. Whatever happened in today's one-to-one session was sure to make it back to Brody at some point, or maybe even Kurt and that was like making a public announcement via a foghorn. Any attempts at a tactful yet discreet compliment in this lesson would have to wait until later. "Your sense of entitlement is breathtakingly arrogant even for you. Did it not occur to you that I have better things to do with my time than to reprimand you and your sorry excuse for timekeeping?" She sensed danger as Rachel's trademark straightening of her shoulders and flick of her hair signalled a potential comeback. Cassie convinced herself that the surge of guilt constricting the vessels of her heart were wholly justifiable as she continued with her quick-thinking solution to a potentially risky situation. Her career was at stake if she couldn't contradict those fallacious, pathetic rumours. "Although to be fair, your nose was on time it was just the long wait for the rest of you to arrive that made you late."

Cassie could see the impact of her words immediately in the slumped posture of the young diva who diverted her eyes to the floor. She had to steel herself from the crushing urge to blurt out an apology, pull the shaking girl into a massive bear hug and beg for forgiveness. She wanted to Rachel to lash out at her, to challenge her authority further in order to justify her onslaught of insults, but it seemed as though Rachel was ready to submit all authority and power over to her without further argument. Cassie groaned inwardly, but hoped she'd done what she'd set out to do. It was for the best, she reminded herself. She leant forward and licked her lips teasingly slow, careful not to get too close. "Is there something you want to say Swchimmer?" she whispered as they stood in silence, their chests heaving as if they'd just completed a passionate and forceful tango. Rachel knew she was for it, but she could never resist a challenge.

She gritted her teeth, lifted her chin to meet Cassandra's dark eyes, and attempted to let the remark go. She was fighting a losing battle, and then her eyes fell upon the smoothie on Cassie's desk. "Is that the new rum and vodka flavoured smoothie?" she asked, forging innocence. Cassie's face fell, her jaw immediately locking. "And there was me thinking my parent's were paying my tuition fee so that I could be taught dancing by a_ sober_ and_ respectable _member of the facility." She allowed time for her words to sink in before adding a perfectly timed "but hey, I guess life is full of disappointments." The implication being that Ms July was a major one.

Cassie was stunned into shocked silence as she ran her narrowed eyes over the diva's slender form with dangerous intensity. How dare Rachel challenge her authority in such a way that it questioned her personal as well as professional values? "If you'd like to talk about disappointment, maybe you should show the class some of your less then impressive adages? Or maybe even a few pirouettes? Since you have the sexual appeal of a pimple on a lama's back, maybe you'd even like to demonstrate how _not_ to do sexy?" she snarled, mere inches away from Rachel's plump, undoubtedly soft lips which trembled with a mixture of anger and hurt. Cassie couldn't tell which and she tried not to think about it. "And just the record, alcohol would make you a lot more bearable." She whispered into the diva's ear, causing them both to shudder at the sheer proximity of her body to Rachel's. Clearly Rachel was going to make it easy for her to dispel such rumours of a romantic tryst given Lydia's confused expression as she strained to hear the hushed confrontation happening by the door, but Rachel's words had burned a hole in her carefully crafted delusions that people hadn't noticed her lack of sobriety.

Cassie didn't think it was possible for her to feel any worse, but then a lone tear made it's way down Rachel's cheek accompanied by an adorable quiver of her bottom lip. Rachel quickly swiped away the tear, hardly wanting to cry infront of Ms July. "You know what?" She said, poking Ms July in the chest with a force not even she knew she was capable of. "You could not be more wrong about me. You could try of course, and I'm sure you will, but you would not be successful." Rachel held Cassandra's gaze for a moment longer than she could really bare, trying to understand why she was suddenly the focus of the teacher's absolute, undivided attention upon her arrival but it was useless. Ms July eyed her with cool detachment, her expression somewhat pained by Rachel's existence. She didn't seem fazed by the diva's doe-eyed mixture of hurt, betrayal and defiance, but then again, it was impossible to tell.

"If that's the case, then you will dance with me Swchimmer." Cassie said, dropping her eyes from the top of Rachel's head to her lips, and then back to her thickly-lashed eyes which were so god-damn innocent Cassie immediately melted under their gentle gaze. Suddenly, their little argument was not going as planned. Cassie could only hope that she would not lose her last semblance of self-control. "Unless of course, you would rather dance alone?" Rachel swallowed thickly, flicked her hair over her shoulder and then, with one adorable, nervous bite of her swollen bottom lip, she was declaring her readiness to dance with Cassandra to the class.

"Right everyone," Cassandra turned to the class, clapping her hands together to break the suffocating silence that threatened to choke everyone in the room. She hadn't realised quite how much attention their little confrontation had earned, but it had certainly done the trick. Any suggestion of a student-teacher relationship prospering within the walls of NYADA was now well and truly deceased. "Remain in your pairs and finish your warm-ups. You'll have half an hour to plan and the other half of the lesson will be devoted to performances. Keep each piece to a maximum of four minuets." After a prolonged moment of silence, whereby the class remained mute and stared directly at Rachel and Cassandra refusing to break off into their pairs, Lydia finally raised her hand.

"Yes Lydia?" The name rolled of her tongue with a deliberate hint of exasperation.

"What style of dance are we meant to be choreographing?"

Cassie frowned for a moment, not having had the time to plan that far ahead. Looking at the defiant diva infront of her, she knew that Rachel had a point to prove so why not let her prove it? A decidedly passionate, yet forcibly controlled tango was sure to turn into a showdown. It was dangerous game to play, especially with Rachel wearing so little, but oh, it was so worth it. The pair of them seemed to thrive of conflict with each other, yet it wasn't as simple as that. "You will be dancing the Ballroom Tango," Cassie declared, gesturing for Rachel to join the group before shooting an arched eyebrow in her direction. The 'do-your-worst' challenge that she perceived in Rachel's eyes only spurred her on even further. "The more passion you can inject, the better. Now, get going. I'll be reviewing your performances at the end of the lesson."

Rachel slipped over to the empty space beside the mirror and tucked herself into the corner, smoothing out barely visible creases in her black leotard as she dropped her bag to the floor. She had always thought Ms July's insults were paramount to bullying, but she soon began to wonder if she should be appreciating the blondes genius instead? She always managed to hit a nerve, even if her insults weren't remotely original. Did Ms July really think she was the first to comment on her looks? Or worse, to humiliate her in front of an entire class? If she thought she could break her - and Rachel was really beginning to think she did - then Cassie would have to try a lot harder. The tears had been due to an intense hatred for confrontation - not for the selection of poorly thought out insults. Slightly intrigued by her teacher's new found wish to challenge her, Rachel decided it was time to make her take notice. She took a spoonful of courage, channelling Santana's poker-face expression and straightened her shoulders before confronting her teacher in the most understated but effective way possible.

When Cassandra joined her during their warm-up session in the secluded section of the studio and leant forward, exposing her read-end in a suggestive manner, Rachel instinctively stood behind her and placed her hands on her hips. Then, without a word, she slid her hands up the teacher's slender torso, and then around towards the base of her neck. Cassie gasped as the diva applied a gentle but deliberate force, wordlessly encouraging her to stretch downwards and touch her toes. Technically, she wasn't breaking any rules by helping Ms July with her stretches. Admiring the blonde in the mirror, Rachel brushed her thumb over the sensitive spot on Cassandra's neck before gently pulling her upright again, never losing contact. Rachel had every ounce of confidence in her voice, but not so much in her sexiness, so when Cassandra leant into her, struggling for breath, she decided to just bite the bullet and bring their lips closer together. Cassandra's reddened lips were just inches from hers and her hand remained cupped on the blonde's neck, holding her still. In the mirror, she watched as Cassie's cheat heaved with nervous anticipation and her eyes flashed with sudden alarm. She had lost control. "Is this okay?" Rachel purred, keeping her steady gaze fixated on the blonde's struggling chest as it heaved with a mixture of anger and arousal. "Or am I crossing the line?"

Cassie's eyes were dangerously dark, like black liquid topaz, and her flushed cheeks were blushing pink, betraying a hint of embarrassment. For some unknown reason, neither Cassie or Rachel could explain why the diva's finger's were still laced in Cassandra's hair, pinning her against her body with seductive possessiveness; nor could they explain why Cassandra hadn't pulled away from Rachel's less-than-subtle advances. She stared straight ahead, the mirror mockingly displaying her breathless pants and pathetic grasp on the diva's arm as it snaked around her torso, pulling her close. "Don't flatter yourself, Rachel." She growled. It was pitiful, unbelievable and Rachel wasn't done with her slow torture yet. She had caught Cassandra staring at her one to many times, heard the suggestive remarks sugar-coated in insults and she'd noted that even though Cassandra's words hurt, she'd never touched Rachel with anything but god-damn tenderness.

The breathless blonde twisted in her arms, turning until their lips were mere inches away from each other. The temperature in the room was suddenly a few degrees hotter. Her last ditch attempt to regain some form of control not only over the suddenly far-to-brazen diva, but her own levels of completely inappropriate arousal, were thwarted by the diva's closeness. Surprised to note the tremble of her hand as she grazed Rachel's torso, she slowly encouraged the brunette to dip backwards, away from her feather light touch. Her arms encircled Rachel's torso, keeping her steady, but the diva easily formed a beautiful shape as she reclined into Cassie's arm's, allowing the blonde to support her weight.

Realising the diva was extremely light, Cassie retracted one of her arms, supporting Rachel with just one hand as she ran the other over her torso, upwards towards her ample breasts and then stopped short, suddenly pulling the diva upright again so that she was pressed flush against her. From the momentary flicker of doubt in Rachel's eyes that betrayed her forged confidence and made way for doubt to course through her veins, Cassie knew she wasn't alone in this sensory overload. She pulled Rachel into her, settling into the basic hold position. "You need to make me think," Cassie demanded, bringing her lips to Rachel's ear. "But don't deceive me."

The diva smirked and wordlessly reached down to cup Cassandra's exposed thigh, pulling the gasping blonde into the hold with fierce concentration.

She'd show her just how 'unsexy' she was.

**~{*}~**


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